By:
Brian Clark
What’s
so magical about the number three?
It’s
no accident that the number three is pervasive throughout some
of our greatest stories, fairy tales and myths.
It’s
also no coincidence that some of the most famous quotes from throughout history
are structured in three parts, nor is it surprising that the Rule of Three also
works wonders in the world of comedy.
It
all comes down to the way we humans process information. We have become
proficient at pattern recognition by necessity, and three is the smallest
number of elements required to create a pattern. This combination of pattern
and brevity results in memorable content, and that’s why the Rule
of Three will make you a more engaging writer.
Storytelling
Have
you ever wondered:
- What the three little pigs, the three blind mice, Goldilocks and the three bears, the Three Musketeers, the three wise men and the Three Stooges have in common?
- Why
the three-act
structure is the dominant approach to
screenwriting in Hollywood? - Why three bullet points are more effective than two or four?
The
Rule of Three works in stories due to the presence of the concise, memorable
patterns that I mentioned above. But even if that wasn’t the case, the number
three has been used so widely throughout some of the most memorable works from
our childhood, it’s likely that we are preconditioned to respond favorably to
elements grouped in threes.
Think
in terms of three when crafting your content, and you’ll likely end up with a
more engaging outcome. If at first you don’t succeed, remember—the third time’s
the charm.
Sticky Ideas
.
. .
Read the full
article HERE!
~*~
If
you missed my writing & marketing tweets and retweets yesterday, here they
are again:
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